The Hocus Pocus cast then and now: Where are they now?

Thora Birch as “Dani”

One of the most courageous and pure-of-heart characters in Hocus Pocus was played by award-winning actor Thora Birch. With her first performance being Molly Johnson in Purple People Eater, Birch had a bit of experience in the wacky and weird before being chased by child-eating witches.

And having recurring roles in Day by Day and Parenthood, Birch was, funnily enough, one of the most experienced actors on the Hocus Pocus set, despite being the youngest of the lot. After eliminating the witches, seemingly, for good and saving Salem, Birch went on to play Sally Ryan in Clear and Present Danger, Jessie Barnes in Alaska and, perhaps her most well-known role, as the dark and misunderstood Jane Burnham in American Beauty, for which she won a Young Artist Award.

Never losing her taste for the dark and twisty side of entertainment, the star has most recently played Mary in The Walking Dead. Birch might have hinted at a possible cameo in the upcoming Hocus Pocus 2 via a tweet in May, but nothing has been confirmed other than her enthusiasm to be part of the project and the new Hocus Pocus cast.

Vinessa Shaw as “Allison”

Speaking of dark and twisty, Vinessa Shaw had begun her career in terror before being terrorized by Salem witches. Starting with her role as Angel Bradley in the misleading title Home Sweet Home, Shaw had come small roles in family comedies before revisiting her scary roots with Hocus Pocus.

Since her role as Allison, Shaw has had leading roles in films like The Hills Have Eyes, Two Lovers, Stag Night, and other terrifying and thrilling films. Shaw’s recent projects have been Family Blood, The Blazing World and We Need to Do Something. She did take a small detour from her skills in the scary department to star in the heartwarming film, 12 Mighty Orphans.

Shaw has expressed a lot of disappointment in, like Katz, not being contacted for Hocus Pocus 2. But her passion for a return to Salem gives us all hope in original cast cameos.

Doug Jones as “Billy Butcherson”

Despite being a master of disguise, Doug Jones is still famously recognized for bringing wild, weird and wonderful other-worldly creatures to life with both his skills as an actor and his tolerance for intense amounts of makeup and prostetics.

As part of the original Hocus Pocus cast, Jones played Billy Butcherson, a brought-back-to-life corpse of Winifred’s boyfriend, who she detests for cheating on her with her sister. Naturally, Winifred, back in the day, poisoned Billy and sewed his mouth shut as punishment for falling for Sarah. Billy gets his revenge by helping Max and the gang take the witches down.

Since Hocus Pocus, Jones has starred in a number of acclaimed films, such as Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth and Hellboy franchise. It’s still unclear whether Billy Butcherson will remain in his grave for the next round of Hocus Pocus, or if he’ll assist the next line of witch hunters in their efforts to stop the Sanderson sisters.

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